Railroad-track fastening.



M. J. DAWKINS. RAILROAD TRACK PASTENING.

APPLIOATIOH FILED 00T. 19, 1907.

Patented Mar. 23, 1909.

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MATTHEW J. DAWKINS, OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA,

RAILROAD-TRACK FSTENING.

Specification o' Letters Patent.

Patented March 28, 1909.

Application filed ctober 19, 1907. Serial No. 398,194.

To all whom it lmay cof/worn:

Be it known that 1, lviarrnnw J. Dawiiin s, l

a citizen of the United States, residing at Riverside, in the county ofRiverside and State of California, have invented a new and usefulRailroad-Track Fastening, of which the following is a specific ation.

The invention relates to imprmf'einents in track fastenings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction oftraclr fastenings, and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensiveconstruction of great strength and durability, adapted to dispense withthe ordinary iisli plates and bolts and also the spikes commonlyemployed for securing rails to the cross ties.

lli/lith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

ln the drawing :e-Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a trackprovided with track fastenings, constructed in accordance with thisinvention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view, taken substantiallyT onthe line .v-x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, takensubstantially on the line yy of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail perspectiveview of one end of a cross tie. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of theclamping members for engaging the outer faces of the rails.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawing.

1--1 designate rails divided longitudinally to form two similar sections2, which have inner vertical faces 3, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2of the drawing. The sections of the rails are arranged to form lapjoints, the ends of one section being located at the center of theadjacent rail sections, whereby practically a continuous rail is formedto eliminate the jars and vibrations incident to the passage of thewheels of a train over rail joints in which the ends of the rails arespaced apart.

The rail sections may be of any preferred length, and the rails areconnected by cross ties, arranged at each of the seini-joints, asclearly illiastrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

Each cross tie is composed of a pair of clainping heads 4 and connectingrods 5, having parallel portions extending across the space between theclamping heads. rfhe clainling heads, which are rigid with the rods, maybe cast, welded, brazed, or otherwise conf nected with the saine, andtheterminals 6 of the rods project beyond the clamping heads, and arethreaded for the reception of niats 7 for securing clamping members S onthe ends of the cross ties. Each clamping head is provided with upperand lower j aws 9 and 10, arranged to engage the rail and a stringer 11,which is located beneath and spaced from the rails. rlhe Stringer 11, asclearly illustrated in Fi. 2 of the drawing, is of slightly greaterwidth than the bottom of the rail, and it projects laterally beyond eachside of the saine. The clamping head 4 is also provided at anintermediate peint between the jaws with an outwardly extendingrail-s'apporting portion or plate 12, havnig fiat horizontal 'up per andlower faces and presenting a flat supporting snrface to the bottomflanges of the rails. The upper jaw 9, which is arranged at aninclination, conforms to the configuration of the bottom flange and webof the rail and it extends upward to and engages the head of the rail.The lower depending jaw 10 is provided with an inclined engaging faceand the string 11 is downwardly tapered to provide downwardly andinwardly extending inclined side faces 13.

The horizontal rail-supporting portion 12 of the cross tie extends ashort distance beyond the rails, and the clamping member 8 is providedwith an oblong horizontal opening 14 to receive the outer end of therailsupporting portion 12. The clamping member 8 is provided with upperand lower jaws 15 and 16; the upper jaw 15 conforms to the configurationof the bottom flange and web of the rail and extends to and engages thehead of the rail, and the lower jaw 16 has an inclined engaging face tofit against the inclined face of the Stringer 11. The outer face of theclamping member is rounded at 17 to enable the clamping member to adjustitself to the rail and the Stringer when the nuts 7 are screwed home. Awasher plate is preferably interposed between the nuts and the clampingmember, but it may be omitted if desired. W hen the parts are beneath ittroni the outside ot the rails without digging ont the gravel or ballastbetween the rails.

Having thus fully described rny invention, what l claiin as new anddesire to secure by .Letters Patent, is

l. ln a device of the class described, the combination with stringere,and rails, of a cross tie provided at its ends with heads iaving upperand lower jaws, and clamping members also provided with upper and lowerjaws, said heads and clamping meinbers cooperating to clainp both therails and the stringere.

2. In a device oi' the class described, the combination with a rail, anda Stringer, oi' a cross tie provided with a head having upper and lowerjaws 'for engaging the rail and the stringer at the inner side thereof,and a clamping ineniber secured to the end oi' the cross tie and. havingupper and lower jaws tor engaging the rail and the Stringer at the outerside thereoil.

3. ln a device oil' the class described, the combination with a rail,and a Stringer, ol' a cross tie provided with a head having upper andlower jaws `for engaging the rail and the Stringer at the inner sidethereof, said head being also provided with an outwardly projecting railsupporting portion interposed between the rail and the Stringer andspacing the iornier above the latter, and a clamping ineinber secured tothe end of the cross tie and having upper and lower jaws for engagingthe rail and the Stringer at the outer side thereol'.

Al. ln a device oi the class described, the combination with a rail, anda Stringer having inclined side faces, ot' a cross tie provided with ahead having upper and lower jaws for engaging the rail and the stringer,the lower jaw being provided with an inclined i'ace to iit the saidStringer, and an outer clamping nie/inber adjustably secured to thecross tie and provided with upper and lower jaws for engaging the railand the Stringer, the lower jaw being also provided with an inclined en`gaging 'tace to iit the stringer.

5. ln a device oi the class described, the combination of a cross tiecoinposed of rods having threaded terminals, and a head rigid with therods and provided with upper and lower jaws, an outer clamping inen'iberarranged on the outer end of the cross tie and cooperating with the headand having upper and lower jaws, and nuts mounted on the threaded endsof the rods for adjusting the outer clamping ineinber.

6. win a device or" the class described, the combination of a cross tiecomposed oil spaced rods, and a head rigid with the rods and havingupper and lower jaws, said head being also provided with an outwardlyei;- tending rail supporting portion located at an intermediate pointbetween the jaws, an outer clamping ineinber having upper and lower jawsand provided with an intermediate opening to receive the rail-supportingportion and the terminals oi the rods, and means niounted on the rodsfor securing the outer clainping ineinber to the cross tie.

7. in a device ol' the class described, the combination oi a cross tiecoinposed oi' spaced rods having threaded terminals, and clainping headsrigid with the rods and terminating short oi' the ends thereoiI andprovided with upper and lower jaws, outer clamping ineinbers havingupper and lower jaws to cooperate with the heads, and nuts inounted onthe ends ci the rods 'for securing the outer clainping ineinbers to thecross tie.

S. in a device oi the class described, a cross tie including spaced.rods of a length to extend across a track, and rail clamps coinposed oiinner clamping ineinbers rigid with said spaced rods near the endsthereof, and outer clamping rneinbers adjustably inounted on the ends olthe rods beyond the inner clamping nienibers.

ln testimony, that l claini the foregoing as inv own, l have heretoaffixed inv signature in the presence of two witnesses.

hiifi'lrilllliiil il. DriilVKlNS. ililitnesses:

L. B. So'aAN'roN, il. D. Nici-ron

